Funding for Autism and ADHD Assessment Waiting List Initiatives Not Realised in Lancashire

A report has indicated that funding designated to address waiting times for autism and ADHD assessments across Lancashire has “not materialised” due to financial pressures. The document, titled “The Reporting from Committees: Escalation and Assurance Report,” prepared for the Lancashire and South Cumbria integrated care board (ICB), noted that the quality committee had been informed of “extremely long waiting times” for assessments for both adults and children. An earlier report, presented to the ICB in May, revealed that demand for these services had “risen exponentially” since 2022, leading to children and young people experiencing “unacceptably long waits” of more than two years to be seen. The ICB stated it recognised waiting times required “improvement.” This development follows the ICB’s disclosure of a £148.6m funding shortfall at the end of March, according to a report prepared for its committee, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. The most recent report submitted to the ICB stated: “Committee were also alerted to ongoing challenges and extremely long waiting times for child and young person neurodevelopment (autism assessment and ADHD assessment) and long waits for adult neurodevelopment assessments.” It added: “There had been a commitment to some waiting list initiative funding to mitigate the risk, but this has not materialised due to the system financial pressures and the risks relating to long waits had not been mitigated.” Professor Sarah O’Brien, Chief Nursing Officer for the Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB, said: “Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB recognises that the waiting times faced by both adult and children for autism assessments require improvement and is a challenge faced across the country.“We are currently reviewing our all-age autism spectrum disorder pathway and are working with system partners and stakeholders to complete the review and proposals for a future pathway for 2025-2026 which helps to reduce the waiting times.”